Tigray & Afar Ugugumo Fighters Seize Erebti Town
Tigray & Afar Ugugumo fighters have seized control of Erebti woreda in the Afar region of Ethiopia. Since Tuesday, fighting has been ongoing between Ethiopian security forces and opposition Tibibir Lahayliwona alliance consisting of Tigray, Amhara, Afar, Somali, Oromo and Benishangul Gumuz armed groups.
Today, Tigray and Afar Ugugumo sources posted pictures and videos showing opposition fighters in control of Erebti town. Erebti town is located in Erebti woreda (district). Erebti woreda is situated in Kilbatti (Kilbat) Rasu zone ( zone 2) of the Afar region. Erebti is the second district in zone 2 which has come under opposition armed groups’ control. Earlier Afar Ugugumo fighters seized control of Abala town in zone 2 on Wednesday. Reportedly, the opposition fighters are now advancing towards Afdera, another district in the Zone 2. They intended to reach Ethiopia Djibouti highway which is the lifeline of landlocked Ethiopia’s economy.
Haji Ibrahim Osman Aliye, former Afar regional government minister, is himself leading the Afar Ugugumo fighters in the battlefield. He is meeting with Afar local elders in newly seized territories. Last year, Ibrahim fled to Eritrea where, backed by Eritrean government, he organized Afar Ugugumo armed group.
According to humanitarian organizations, thousands of people have been displaced within the last one week from zone 2 and zone 4 in Afar region due to ongoing heavy fighting.
Opposition Tibibir Lahayliwona alliance has announced that it wants to remove Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government for the establishment of an inclusive transitional government. Ethiopian government says that the opposition alliance has the backing of Ethiopian historical enemies.
